aceuse of on-set digital scanning to capture Equity actors' likeness for future AI reuse
Source article: UK actors vote to refuse to be digitally scanned in pushback against AI
Abstract: Actors have voted to refuse digital scanning to prevent their likeness being used by artificial intelligence in a pushback against AI in the arts. Members of the performing arts union Equity were asked if they would refuse to be scanned while on set, a common practice in which actors’ likeness is captured for future use – with 99% voting in favour of the move. The general secretary, Paul Fleming, said: “Artificial intelligence is a generation-defining challenge. And for the first time in a generation, Equity’s film
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On 18 December 2025, The Guardian reported that UK actors in Equity voted 99% to refuse to be digitally scanned while on set, aiming to prevent their likeness being used by artificial intelligence. The union's general secretary Paul Fleming called artificial intelligence a generation-defining challenge for Equity's film members.
This collective refusal signals a concrete labour response to AI replication risks in entertainment, shifting control over likeness data back toward performers. It remains unclear how widely the refusal will be enforced, how producers will adapt, and whether it will lead to formal contract protections or disputes.
- Members of performing arts union Equity voted 99% in favour of refusing digital scanning while on set
- Digital scanning was described as a common practice in which actors' likeness is captured for future use
- General secretary Paul Fleming described artificial intelligence as a generation-defining challenge for Equity's film members
Equity members voting 99% to refuse on-set digital scanning preserves actors' ability to prevent their captured likeness from being reused by AI systems.
Routine on-set digital scanning that captures actors' likeness for future use enables AI systems to reuse their image without ongoing consent or control.
The rundown
On 18 December 2025, The Guardian reported that members of UK performing arts union Equity voted to refuse digital scanning while on set, with 99% voting in favour. The vote was framed as a pushback against AI in the arts to prevent their likeness being captured for future AI use, which the article notes is a common practice.
The action matters because it represents organized labour setting a boundary on AI-driven replication in entertainment, potentially affecting how productions obtain and reuse performer data. What remains uncertain from the excerpt is how the refusal will be implemented in contracts, whether productions will comply, and what longer-term effects on employment and likeness rights will be observed.
Sources
- JournalismThe Guardian2025-12-18
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